


A Drop of Water Can Make a Ripple, Which Can Become A Tidal Wave

by The_Optimist



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: 6000 Years of Slow Burn, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Archangel Aziraphale, Aziraphale also gets promoted, Butterfly Effect, Crowley Was Raphael Before He Fell (Good Omens), Crowley gets promoted, Duke of Hell Crowley, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gabriel gets demoted, Ineffable Bureaucracy, Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), Multi, Slow Burn, The Ineffable Plan (Good Omens), Virtue Gabriel, technically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 16:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19380748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Optimist/pseuds/The_Optimist
Summary: We all know the story of an angel and a demon who met in the Garden, and over the next 6000 years fell in love.But do you know the story of this angel and demon?---Basically this is Theo's fault and now we all ship Ineffable Bureaucracy and I had to write this au.





	A Drop of Water Can Make a Ripple, Which Can Become A Tidal Wave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crowquake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowquake/gifts).



> Please send all hate mail to striffyisme.tumblr.com thank you <3

Gabriel, Archangel, one of the most powerful of all Angels, and he was on Garden duty. Of all things! Of course, the responsibility of looking after Her newest creations was important, but surely not important enough to require the Archangel Fucking Gabriel's presence in this stupid Garden. All he did was stand on this wall, overlooking the desert in the rare chance of seeing demons, or other animals willing to try their luck at the massive walls of Eden. So far, Gabriel had yet to have the opportunity to take his frustration out in means of a good smiting.

  
That was, of course, until he encountered zir. Ze was, when Gabriel first met them, a simple swarm of flies. Easy to get past the Angel guards, most of whom were Cherubim, and into Eden. Of course, Gabriel, being as intelligent and powerful as he was, noticed zir immediately[1].

  
Zir was a collection of small fruit flies, not common in Eden yet, but still not entirely shocking to see. What was shocking was that it was obvious that the flies moved as one creature, proven seconds later when zir shifted into a more human like form. Before he could call down Holy Wrath on the demon, the small form leaped forward, hitting Gabriel square across the jaw with zir fist, and then sprinting away.

  
"Hey! That's not fair!" Gabriel called after zir, who glanced over zir shoulder.

  
"Neither is smiting me on the spot, wank-wings!" Ze called back, ducking between some trees and disappearing completely. Gabriel growled, but knew giving chase was a lost cause. Turning, he headed back to check on the humans, before reclaiming his post by the Western Gate.

  
Two days later, they met again. This time, ze didn't bother to change forms, remaining a small cluster of flies in a clearing, overlooking Adam and Eve. Gabriel approached, slightly more cautious this time, but no less angry.

  
"You! Foul demon! Identify yourself!" He called, marching forward.

  
Ze[2] made a light buzzing sound. "Only if you tell me who you are first." Zir words were accentuated by buzzing too, Gabriel noticed.

  
"I asked you first!" Gabriel near shouted, coming to a stop in front of the swarm. He wondered how well smiting would work against such a small target.

  
"I asked you second," ze taunted, buzzing in amusement.

  
Gabriel took a deep breath to calm down. He had to choose his battles if he wanted to win the war. "I am Gabriel, Archangel, and I will be the one to strike you down where you stand, demon!"

  
The demon laughed, a strange noise coming from a large collection of flies. "An Archangel? What, were they tired of dealing with your shit Upstairs?" Ze laughed again.

  
Gabriel was truly losing his grip on his own short fuse. "No! I am here because She required it, because it is an important job, and only the most important of Angels can handle it! Imagine if they let some Lesser Angel do this job, and they let a demon like you in to tempt the humans! It would not stand!" Gabriel was breathing heavily, anger rising as the demon continued to laugh in his face.

  
"You truly believe that?" Ze asked, once zir had called down.

  
"Of course I do, it's true," Gabriel ground out.

  
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Either way, you aren't doing a great deal of stopping demons right now, are you?" And with one last laugh, ze flew off.

  
Gabriel stared, open mouthed, for a few seconds. Then, as his senses returned, he shouted after the already-gone demon. "Come back at once! I demand it! You have still to identify yourself!" The demon, however, did not come back.

  
The next time they met, it was their last day in the garden. Gabriel had gone to see the humans, just in time to witness a blinding light falling on Adam and Eve, forbidden apple still in his grasp. His eyes had widened, as he took in the appearance of the Angel, quickly turning back to Eve, who was looking Gabriel's way also. Horrified, Gabriel had rushed forward to stop them, but it was too late. "Adam, Eve," spoke God from above, ethereal light shining on the couple. "You have disobeyed me. You shall be punished for your disobedience."

  
The light was gone as suddenly as it came, and the two humans, shock written on their faces, looked between themselves, and then at Gabriel. "Oh for Heav- come here, you must leave," Gabriel demanded, knowing that letting them stay would be worse than letting them wander the desert alone. They continued to look blankly at him, and he wondered for a second if he had spoken in the wrong language. "Quickly now!" Finally they began to move, and he ushered them along through the dense tropical paradise.

  
They reached the Western Gate quickly, and with a small miracle an entrance was formed in the stone. He paused, turning to see the two defenceless humans stood in crudely made leaf clothing, barefoot and without the sense to know how or what to defend against. With a sigh, knowing he was going to regret this, he drew his celestial sword, brandishing it before him. Adam looked at the hilt, offered in his direction, for a few seconds before slowly reaching it out and gripping it. "Thank you," he said, quietly, and Gabriel nodded. Before anything more could be said, he unfurled his large, golden wings, and flew up, back to his original post.

  
Waiting, there, was the demon once again, in humanoid form once more. Gabriel heaved a great sigh as he landed beside zir, wings folding away behind him. "What," he asked, but it was more like a statement.

  
Ze hummed. "Just hanging around to see how it goes. Got to see through a good tempting, yeah?" Ze smiled, but it showed more teeth than Gabriel was comfortable with. "Especially if it's the first one," Ze said, finally turning to make eye contact with Gabriel.

  
Gabriel, ready to smite the demon there and then, was interrupted by a familiar heavenly light. "Gabriel... what have you done with your flaming sword?" Gabriel flinched, knowing the well hidden fury in Her voice. The demon was gone, likely a good decision, one that Gabriel wish he could follow.

  
"Uh... Lord, the humans, you see..." he paused, unsure on how to continue. "Well, I did not... what I mean to say is-"

  
"Gabriel. You are to meet with Michael at your earliest convenience." Gabriel winced[3]. The light faded, and in its place came a faint buzzing.

  
"Oh, you're in for it now sunshine. When I get back Downstairs I'm telling everyone that the Great Beelzebub was the one to defeat Archangel Gabriel. What a buzz," Ze said, retaking their place on the wall. Ze sat on the edge, short legs dangling over the side, watching as Adam and Eve trekked across the harsh desert. Gabriel closed his eyes, and only restrained from praying for strength as he had just spoken with God, and doubted She'd appreciate his efforts right now.

  
He did, however, pick up on one thing. "Beelzebub?" He asked, smirk crossing his face once more. Maybe he could offer this to Michael in exchange for his pardon[4].

  
The demon tensed, slightly, before shrugging. "You're not going to live long enough for you knowing my name to be a problem. They'll either kill you when you get up there, or you'll Fall, and be the Damned evidence to my victory."

  
Beelzebub turned and smirked over zir shoulder. "Either way, not my problem."

  
Gabriel could not meet the demon's eyes, afraid of the truth in zir words. Instead, he looked out over the desert, storm clouds gathering and threatening to burst over the humans below, who were now facing off against a lioness with their newly gifted sword. Gabriel fanned out his wings once more, stretching them out as far as they would go to feel the strain against them and against his back, before relaxing again. He searched the grey sky above, and wondered. He looked down again at Beelzebub, who was also watching the gathering clouds.

  
When the rain finally broke, a few seconds later, Gabriel raised his wings to cover his own head, but his proximity to the demon meant they were protected as well. He didn't bother to move away, glad for the silent company in what may be his last few minutes on Earth (or even, he thought in a dark corner of his mind, his last few minutes alive). Even if the company was Evil[5], at least it was something.

  
A few moments later, he heaved a great sigh, and turned away from the demon. "If I ever see you again, you will not be spared, understand?" The demon chuckled, throwing out what might have been a quiet 'sure, pillow stuffing' under zir breath, but Gabriel decided to ignore it. "'Till next time, then."

  
In seconds he was back in heaven. He walked the white, clean hallways, pristine and perfectly put together as always. He moved past some other Angels, who glanced his way quickly before moving on. Before he would have taken to the attention, but today it felt like eyes on the back of his head, waiting for him to slip up. He found Michael quickly, light blue wings neatly folded at their back, stood facing away from him. Gabriel stopped at their side, overlooking the Angels in the plaza below. "Michael," he greeted, trying for as even a tone as possible.

  
"Gabriel, welcome home. How was Earth, brother?" They sounded almost genuine, and if Gabriel hadn't known their sibling for as long as he had, then he might have believed they actually cared. They both knew what he was here for.

  
"As it was when you last saw it, Michael. How goes it here?" Gabriel would not look his sibling in the eye, or at their face in general.

  
"Excellently, as always. Come, walk with me." Michael lead the way, headed towards the quieter back halls. They were silent until they were out of sight of any other Angels, and Gabriel felt a feeling he had only had a few times before, during the war; anxiety. They stopped in a slightly-less-well-lit[6] hallway, and Michael turned to face Gabriel. "Brother, you know what you have done?"

  
Gabriel could not make eye contact with his sibling. "Yes," he replied simply.

  
"Then you know you must be punished. Is there anything you would like to say, first?" A rare opportunity, from Michael. The Fallen had not been allowed to plead their case at all.

  
Gabriel swallows, an action he knows he does not need to do, but does so anyway. Stupid physical forms. "The demon, the one who tempted the humans... it's Beelzebub." He does not know how much this will help, but he has to try something. "She was going to punish them anyway, exile them, I just, helped them along a bit."

  
He could feel Michael's eyes on him, but still he did not look up. "Gabriel," they said, voice even. He continued to stare at the shoulder seam in the fabric of their robes[7]. "Gabriel," Michael said, firmer this time. He finally looked up, meeting their pale blue eyes. They were distant, in a way they had rarely been before the war. "If it was up to me, brother, I would let this go. But you know it can never be up to just me." He looked for some trace of regret in their eyes or voice, that would reflect their words, but there was none. "You are to be demoted, effective immediately. You are a Virtue, now, brother." They turned away, not glancing back even once as Gabriel collapsed to the ground in pain. His vision filled with white, and all he could think in his last moment of consciousness, was how much warmer Earth was than Heaven. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1]And by immediately, I mean it took him three hours and he walked straight into zir.[return to text]
> 
> [2]Who would have raised an eyebrow if ze had one in this form. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return2%E2%80%9D) ]
> 
> [3]It was because he knew 'earliest convenience' meant 'right now,' and that meeting with Michael, his only older sibling left in heaven, would not be a good thing in this context. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return3%E2%80%9D) ]
> 
> [4]He didn't want to think about what could happen to him if not. He counted himself lucky he hadn't Fallen where he stood in the Garden below. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return4%E2%80%9D) ]
> 
> [5]With a capital E. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return5%E2%80%9D) ]
> 
> [6]Which is to say, it was not dim, or dark, as it was Heaven, but was noticeably not quite as bright. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return6%E2%80%9D) ]
> 
> [7]Strange, that clothes that had been made by the divine had seams, when stitches had yet to be invented by humans. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return7%E2%80%9D) ]

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I know this is terrible do Not @ me


End file.
